THE PLANT WOKLD 179 



EDITORIAL. 



It has not usually been found necessary to protect plants against 

 botanists, for no true plant-lover will uproot the last specimens of a rare 

 species, no matter how much he may desire them for his herbarium. 

 The perpetuation of a plant in its original habitat is of far more import- 

 ance than the possession of the last-known dried specimen of it. But 

 with some amateurs and the pestiferous "summer visitor" the case is 

 far different, and well may concealment be resorted to to save the 

 showy, rare or otherwise interesting plants from vandal hands. The 

 passing of the climbing fern from many of its New England haunts, is 

 still too fresh in mind to permit of experiment. It is, therefore, with 

 feelings of profound astonishment that we open the pages of a recent 

 issue of a prominent botanical journal, and find therein the advertise- 

 ment of a well-known railroad under the caption: " If you are looking 

 for the best botanizing in the Eastern States you should save up pen- 

 nies enough to visit The * * * " ! Then follows a two page list of 

 rare or interesting plants, with explicit directions how to reach them — 

 via this railroad ! Of course this advertisement, or the essential part 

 of it, was written by a botanist (sic), and evidently a thoroughly com- 

 petent one, who has sold his birthright for a mess of pottage, possibly 

 in the form of an annual pass over this railroad: The certain effect of 

 turning loose a horde of more or less irresponsible people among 

 " rare " plants is shown conclusively in the same issue of this journal, 

 and in the same State! Following is the wail of despair: " Camptoso- 

 rus rhizophyUus. In one locality only, growing over a ledge, near * . 

 "WTien I last visited the place in 1894, the plants were being decimated 

 by local amateur collectors." "Twelve years ago Adiantum pedatum 

 was very common all about this region; but the plant has been so much 

 sought after by summer visitors that it is practically extinct in all 

 accessible localities." 



Need anything further be said ? 



